Spiritual gifts part 47: Do not be amazed that you must be born again

Pastor-Teacher
John Farley
Thursday,
November 4, 2010

Spiritual Gifts Part 47: Do not be amazed, Christ says, that you must be born again.

A. Efficacious Grace = the work or ministry of the Holy Spirit in making the faith in Jesus Christ of the spiritually dead person effective for eternal salvation.

God the Holy Spirit applies the benefits of the work done by our Savior on the cross (on behalf of the whole human race) to the individual who believes in Jesus for salvation.

Redemption - the price for our sins has been paid.
Expiation - the blood of Christ cleanses us from all guilt. The IOU has been canceled.

Propitiation - God the Father in His righteousness and justice is completely satisfied with the blood of Christ on your account.

Reconciliation - a permanent status of peace exists between you and God.

Justification means an act of vindication

Justification is the legal act of God whereby He declares the believer righteous because He has imputed to the believer His (God’s) own perfect righteousness.

At the moment of faith in Christ, God imputes His righteousness to the believer.

Then God declares the believer to be justified because he or she possesses the righteousness of God.

2Co 5:21
He made Him [TLJC] who knew no sin to be sin [offering, bearer] on our behalf [substitute], so that we might become the righteousness of God [imputation, justification] in Him [baptism of the Spirit].

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The justice of God is free to not only apply the complete salvation work of Christ to the believer - the benefits of redemption, expiation, propitiation, and reconciliation -

-but now also God is free to shower on this sinner the gift of righteousness and the abundance of grace, finally bringing that son or daughter to glory, complete in Christ.

Salvation also includes an amazing set of new gifts and transformations that God performs on behalf of reconciled sinners.

2Co 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

His purpose in redeeming us, reconciling us, justifying us, is to set us up to reign in life through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.

It starts with the dead ones.

It takes us to righteousness - Justification.

And it keeps going all the way to eternal life - that is Regeneration, and ultimately Glorification.